by Maxwell Rabb, Forks Over Knives, 3 March 2023

Following an entirely vegan diet may be significantly better for the environment than the Mediterranean diet, according to new research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The study also indicated positive outcomes related to weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol levels for those eating vegan.

A vegan diet eschews all animal products. Mediterranean diets, meanwhile, exclude all red meat and are largely plant-based but include some fish, chicken, and dairy. For this study, Italy-based researchers compared the environmental footprints of the two diets using a life cycle assessment—an analysis of the environmental impacts of products during their entire life cycle.

They found that although animal products only make up about 10% of the average Mediterranean diet, their inclusion makes the diet significantly less environmentally friendly than it would be without any animal products: By the researchers’ calculations, vegan diets produce 44% less environmental impact.

Read the full story here: Vegan Diet Significantly Better for the Environment than Mediterranean Diet: New Research – Forks Over Knives.